Highway lighting system

ABSTRACT

A highway lighting system is provided having groups of lights successively located along the highway with each group being activatable by the passage of a vehicle in front of a predetermined point along the highway. Each group remains activated for a predetermined time enabling the vehicle to proceed along the highway in what appears to be a continuously illuminated highway. The system additionally includes manually operable means whereby certain of the lights may be selectively activated together with a warning signal in the event that a vehicle must stop for repairs or otherwise.

United States Patent 1 Guercio 1 1 HIGHWAY LIGHTING SYSTEM [76]Inventor: John Francis Guerclo', 306 Throop St., North Babylon, NY.11704 221 Filed: Sept. 17,1973

2| Appl.No.:397,933

{52] US. Cl 315/159; 315/155; 340/258 B [51] Int. C1,... H0511 37/02;H05b 39/04; H05b 41/36 [58} Field of Search 1. 315/149, 152, 155, 159,315/313, 317; 340/258 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS1,963,508 6/1934 Stilwell, Jr 315/159 2.124.807 7/1938 Wells r r 315/1593,530,432 9/1970 Pope 340/258 B 3,790,848 2/1974 Lai 315/155 1 July 1,1975 Primary Examiner-James W. Lawrence Assistant Examiner-T. N. Grigsby[5 7 ABSTRACT A highway lighting system is provided having groups oflights successively located along the highway with each group beingactivatable by the passage of a vehicle in front of a predeterminedpoint along the highway. Each group remains activated for apredetermined time enabling the vehicle to proceed along the highway inWhat appears to be a continuously illuminated highway. The systemadditionally includes manually operable means whereby certain of thelights may be selectively activated together with a warning signal inthe event that a vehicle must stop for repairs or otherwise.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures HIGHWAY LIGHTING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to highway lighting systems andmore particularly to a highway lighting system which normally maintainsthe lights of the highway off but is responsive to the flow of trafficalong the highway to successively illuminate stretches of the highwaywhereby a vehicle traveling the highway is presented with a continuouslyilluminated road.

Highway systems across the country extend millions of miles. Many of thehighways are very heavily traveled at all hours of the day and night andthus require continuous lighting during the dark hours. Others, however,are less frequently travelled and do not require such continuouslighting. In fact, continuous lighting over most highways is extremelywasteful of power which is becoming a very dear commodity. To eliminatesuch lighting, however, would present very serious safety hazards tothose who may use such a highway. It is, thus. of advantage to be ableto provide such highways with lighting as needed when the highway isbeing used.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a highway lightingsystem which is normally OK but which is responsive to efficiently andsafely light the highway in response to usage of the highway.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The highway lighting system in accordance withthe present invention is provided with groups of lights successivelylocated along the highway. Each of the groups of lights has a controlmeans associated therewith which is actuatable by a vehicle passing infront of a predetermined point along the highway to activate the lightsof the particular group for a predetermined time sufficient to permitthe vehicle traveling at a normal rate of speed to pass the group oflights which it has activated. The predetermined point is situated alongthe highway before the group of lights so that the lights are turned onsufficiently before the vehicle reaches the group to prevent disturbanceto the driver of the vehicle. In this manner, the successive groups oflights are successively activated to give the driver the impression of acontinuously illuminated highway. Manually operable means are alsoprovided for activating respective groups of lights and warning means inthe event that a vehicle must stop for repairs or otherwise. Themanually operable means overrides the vehicle activated control means tomaintain the lights on for a longer predetermined time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a partial perspective view ofthe highway lighting system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the control mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A detailed description of theinvention will now be given in connection with the drawing. The highwaylighting system of the instant invention is shown in FIG. 1 and consistsof successive groups of lights such as 100. b, c, d. e; Ha. I), c, d. e,and 12a, b, c, d, 2. While each of the groups has been shown containingfive lights. it should be understood that this is merely for il- LIIlustrative purposes and in practice the number of lights in each groupmay be varied in accordance with such factors as speed limit, generalvisibility conditions and other road conditions.

Each group of lights is controlled by a control means such as 13 shownschematically in FIG. 2 of the drawing for controlling group 11 and 14shown in block form for controlling group 12. The control means for eachrespective group is situated along the highway one or more light polesbefore the group which it controls to activate the group before thevehicle reaches that group and while the vehicle is still in a sectionof the highway illuminated by the group immediately preceding the nextcontrolled group so that the highway appears to be continuouslyilluminated to the driver of the vehicle.

The control means consists of an electric eye 15 shown in block formconnected to an electromagnet 15. The electric eye 15 which is connectedacross power source lines 17 and 18 may be of a commercially availabletype and is activable by the passage of a vehicle past a predeterminedpoint along the highway to activate the electromagnet 16. Armature 19 ofthe electromagnet 16 is connected to a cam 20 and is attracted to theelectromagnet 16 upon its activation.

Cam 20 which is rotatable about a central axis has a spring clock ortimer associated therewith (only the spring 21 of which is shown in thedrawing). The cam 20 includes a recessed portion 22 which normally issituated to receive armature 23 of switch 24 when the control means isin an inactive condition. Also on cam 20 is portion 25 of greaterdistance from the central axis of the cam for engaging armature 23 uponthe activation of the control means and the rotation of cam 20 by theattraction of armature 19 to the electromagnet l6.

Engagement of portion 25 of cam 20 with armature 23 causes the latter tomove into engagement with armature 26 of switch 24. Engagement ofarmatures 23 and 26 of switch 24 causes electrical connection of mainpower line 18 to conductor 27 electrically connected to each of thelights of group 11. Additionally, each of the lights of group 11 ispermanently connected to main power line 17. Thus, activation of switch24 causes activation of each of the lights of group I] for apredetermined time determined by the spring clock associated with cam20.

It is additionally noted that while cam 20 is initially rotated inresponse to the passage of a vehicle in front of electric eye 15, if asecond vehicle should pass in front of the electric eye 15, it wouldagain activate electromagnet 16 to reset cam 20 to a full time cyclegiving the second vehicle sufiicient time to pass the lights of group 11.

Also associated with said control means 13 is a manually operable cam 28rotatable by a knob 29. Manually operable cam 28 has recessed portions30 and 31 along the periphery thereof. Recessed portion 30 normallyreceives armature 26 of switch 24 while recessed portion 31 normallyreceives armature 32 of switch 33. Armature 32 is electrically connectedto a first terminal 34 of warning signal lamp 35. A second armature 36of switch 33 is electrically connected to main power line 17 whilesecond terminal 37 of warning signal lamp 35 is electrically connectedto armature 26 of switch 24.

Rotation of manually operable cam 28 clockwise results in movement ofarmature 26 of switch 24 into engagement with armature 23 resulting inthe lighting of the lights of group 11. Additionally. rotation of cam 28clockwise results in movement of armature 32 into engagement witharmature 36 of switch 33 to complete an electrical circuit for warningsignal lamp 35 with power lines 17 and through switch 33, terminal 34.terminal 37 and switch 24 thus resulting in activation of the warningsignal lamp 35. This lamp may be situated on one of the light poles inthe vicinity of the control means 13 so as to provide adequate warningto oncoming vehicles that a vehicle is stopped in that vicinity.

Cam 28, as mentioned above, is operative on switch 24 to manuallyoperate group 1 1. During the operation of cam 28, which is associatedwith a spring clock having a longer time cycle than that associated withcam 20, spring 38 of which is shown. it thus becomes unnecessary for camto operate switch 24 in response to the passage of a vehicle in front ofelectric eye 15. At such times, rotation of cam 20 is prevented byarmature 23 of switch 24 which has armature 26 biased against it by cam28.

It should be clear from the foregoing that a new and novel highwaylighting system has been provided whereby successive stretches ofhighway are illuminated by said system in response to the passage oftraffic along the highway. Furthermore, this system presents theappearance of a continuously illuminated highway to the vehiclestravelling it thus preventing the disturbance of the driver by theappearance oflights flashing on and off. In addition. the systemprovides manually operable means for providing a warning signal in theevent of a stopped vehicle and means for lighting the stretch of thehighway along which such vehicle is stopped to provide adequate lightfor repairs if necessary.

While the present invention has been described with respect to apreferred embodiment thereof, many modifications of this invention willnow become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art such as theutilization of electronic switches and electric timing means toaccomplish the functions of the mechanical means described herein. It isthus desired that the scope of the invention not be limited by thespecific illustrative embodiment described herein but rather bedetermined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A highway lighting system for lighting a predetermined length of ahighway for a predetermined time in response to the flow oftrafic onsaid highway comprising:

a plurality of highway lights spaced sequentially apart from each otherby a predetermined distance along said highway,

circuit means connecting each of said highway lights in parallelelectrical circuits. power supply means including a first conductorelectrically connected in said circuit means to each of said highwaylights and a second conductor,

switch means connected between said circuit means and said secondconductor and normally in an inactivated condition whereby said highwaylights are normally off, trip means operatively associated with saidswitch means and responsive to the passage of a vehicle past apredetermined point on said highway to activate said switch means toelectrically connect said circuit means and said second conductor toturn on said highway lights said trip means including an electric eyeelectrically connected to an electromagnet and being responsive topassage of a vehicle in front of said predetermined point to activatesaid electromagnet, cam means having an armature thereon attractable bysaid electromagnet when said electromagnet is activated and said switchmeans being operatively associated with said cam means and beingactivatable thereby when said armature is attracted to saidelectromagnet, and

tinting means operatively associated with said trip means and saidswitch means for maintaining said switch means activated for apredetermined time after the passage of said vehicle beyond saidpredetermined point, said timing means including spring clock meansconnected to said cam means for maintaining said switch means activateda predetermined time after said armature is attracted to saidelectromagnet.

2. A highway lighting system according to claim 1 including second cammeans operatively associated with said switch means and manuallyoperable to activate said switch means,

second switch means operable by said second cam means and warning signalmeans connected to said second switch means and operable thereby inresponse to operation of said manually operable means.

s: a: s

1. A highway lighting system for lighting a predetermined length of ahighway for a predetermined time in response to the flow of trafic onsaid highway comprising: a plurality of highway lights spacedsequentially apart from each other by a predetermined distance alongsaid highway, circuit means connecting each of said highway lights inparallel electrical circuits, power supply means including a firstconductor electrically connected in said circuit means to each of saidhighway lights and a second conductor, switch means connected betweensaid circuit means and said second conductor and normally in aninactivated condition whereby said highway lights are normally off, tripmeans operatively associated with said switch means and responsive tothe passage of a vehicle past a predetermined point on said highway toactivate said switch means to electrically connect said circuit meansand said second conductor to turn on said highway lights, said tripmeans including an electric eye electrically connected to anelectromagnet and being responsive to passage of a vehicle in front ofsaid predetermined point to activate said electromagnet, cam meanshaving an armature thereon attractable by said electromagnet when saidelectromagnet is activated and said switch means being operativelyassociated with said cam means and being activatable thereby when saidarmature is attracted to said electromagnet, and timing meansoperatively associated with said trip means and said switch means formaintaining said switch means activated for a predetermined time afterthe passage of said vehicle beyond said predetermined point, said timingmeans including spring clock means connected to said cam means formaintaining said switch means activated a predetermined time after saidarmature is attracted to said electromagnet.
 2. A highway lightingsystem according to claim 1 including second cam means operativelyassociated with said switch means and manually operable to activate saidswitch means, second switch means operable By said second cam means andwarning signal means connected to said second switch means and operablethereby in response to operation of said manually operable means.